THE EAST Lancs Road claimed another victim when a teenage cyclist collided with a car on the busy road last summer, a Salford inquest heard.

THE EAST Lancs Road claimed another victim when a teenage cyclist collided with a car on the busy road last summer, a Salford inquest heard.

Walkden High School pupil Mark Robert Wood was killed trying to cross the highway in Boothstown on the way to his friend's house less than a month before his 15th birthday.

His parents, who 10 months later are still struggling to come to terms with his death, were excused from attending the hearing.

But in a letter his father George wrote: "I believe one of the reasons for this tragedy is the East Lancs Road itself. People have to try to cross it every day without crossings, bridges or subways. The cars are encouraged to go fast."

He said Mark was a well- liked boy, just one year off sitting his GCSEs, and had hoped to become a teacher.

He said Mark was an experienced cyclist who had been riding since the age of four and went out by bike visiting friends from 6-10pm several nights every week. He didn't blame the driver.

Eyewitnesses told how they had seen Mark and his friend, David Holmes, on their bicycles on the road's central reservation near traffic lights at its Chaddock Road junction at around 6.30pm on Thursday, June 20, 2002.

When Mark moved into the road during an apparent lull in the traffic he was hit by a Vauxhall Astra driven by 19-year-old Michael Tickle who was on his way from Ashton-in-Makerfield to see his girlfriend in Farnworth, travelling down the Salford-bound lane of the East Lancs.

Witnesses told how Mr Tickle slammed on his brakes, swerved to avoid the cyclist, but collided with him in the outside lane half-way between the reservation and the central road marking.

In a statement David said he saw his friend thrown into the air and land on the road. He ran over to him but found him unconscious.

Mark, of Standfield Drive, Boothstown, was taken to Hope Hospital where doctors tried to revive him, but later found a broken neck had severed his spinal cord and caused fatal brain damage, findings confirmed by a post mortem.

Mr Tickle said he was driving at around 60mph but slowing to 50 as he approached the junction in case the lights changed, but they stayed green and he went through.

He said the road was clear and he did not see the cyclists. Then he saw a cyclist in front of him, realised it was too late to stop, slammed on his brakes and tried to swerve to the inside lane to avoid him.

He said: "I don't think I could have done anything more to prevent the collision. The lights were definitely on green when I went through." He was taken to hospital suffering shock after the collision.

Salford police accident investigator PC Lloyd said tyre skid marks at the accident scene showed Mr Tickle was travelling between 48- 61mph when his car collided with Mark, and the traffic lights were likely to have been green at the time he passed them.

He found Mark's Raleigh bike fully roadworthy, apart from the accident damage, and a government inspector found the same of the car.

No legal action was taken against Mr Tickle.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Salford assistant deputy coroner Alan Walsh said: "The tragedy of this accident is that he, Mark, may well have made a mistake."

He said that in this case it did not seem right for him to make any recommendations, though if the family had concerns over the road they should raise them with the relevant authorities.